Phonograph



Juhe s, 1923.

R. w. MORRIS N PHONOGRAPH 2 SheetsQShet 1 Filed Jan. 13, 1920 in;

llllllll ll 1' l l I mm I avwantoz June 5, 1923.

R. W. MORRISON PHONOGRAPH Filed Jan 1s 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ralph (Q-risen;

Patented June 5, 1923. v

UNITED STATES P TEN-roFice.)

RALPH w. MonRr'soN; or OMAHA, unnnnsxir.

i PHoNoGnArH.

Application filed J 'anuary l3, 1920. Serial No. 351,150.

To all whom itmay concern Be it known that 1, RALPH 'W. MORRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State ofNcbraska, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements .in Phonographs, of

which the following is afspecification.

This invention relates to'an improvement in phonographs, and more particularly. to the sound conducting tube and sound reproducer of a phonograph, and has for 1ts object, v broadly, .to provide such a construction that at least three diaphragms may be used and that'soundsmay be reproduced from any of the disc-records now in use. The invention includes a sound reproducer adapted to be rotated for adjustments longitudinally of the sound conducting tube to dispose its aperturesin register with the aperturesof said tube, and to provide arequired weight or pressure for the several styli in their playing positions, and also to dispose each stylus, when in its playing position, at thesamedistance frointhe axis of movement of the tone-arm. n

It is well known to those versed in the art that, of the various disc-records produced, the three principal ones in use are identified b their spiral grooves as .lateral cut?,'sapp ire-ball and diamondi-point also that ditterentpositions for the sound reproducer and ,diaphragms are required for disposing the styli in their playing positions also that a greater pressure of the, stylus is required in a groove known as sapphire-ball than the other -grooves, n1ent1oned, and that the stylus engaging. in a diamond-point groove requires a, lesser pressure than the By.use of the herein described invention, the sound reproducer may be rotated for movingit longitudinally of the sound con-. ducting tube to dispose thestylus ofany desired diaphragm in a playing position,

.a is a view in side elevation of the sound and simultaneously therewith supplyingfthe required pressure for the stylus -1n the groove of the disc-record, no adjustments being required for operation after the sound reproducer has'been disposed in its playing position. A P

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment-of the invention, Fig. 1' is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2

' 14, 15 and 16'.

ment'ot the parts of the sound reproducer',

parts beingin section; "Fig. 4 is a side.

view oflthe sound. conducting tubeshowing the sound reproducer mounted thereon."

Fig. 5 is a side view of thesound conduct ing tube'and sound reproducerfiFig. 6' is a plan view, partly in section, of the sound conductingtube. F ig, 7 is a side view of the sound conductingtube. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 4.. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9, of Fig. 4.. Fig. 10 is a sectional View on line 10-10 of Fig. 4L. Fig. 11 is a detail'relating to Figs. 6 and 7, being a transverse, section through the vsound conducting tube, taken .in the endless groove thereof.

. Referringnow to the drawing, numeral 1 indicates the conventional; tone-arm of a phonograph, the axis of. itsjswinging movements being.. indicated at 2. .:At 3 is indicated a sound conducting'tube provided at one of its ends with a Weight 4:, said tube having a pivotal mounting a between its ends upon the elbow b of the arm 1. ,The-

side wall of said tube'is also provided with apertures. 5. and 6,-these-being disposed at I longitudinal intervals thereof and in, non-f aligning radial planes. Thewside wall of the tube is also provided with an; endless peripheral groove 7 having depressions 0,

. d and 6 formed therein at intervals. I I Numeral 8 indicates a sleeve provided with a three-part sound reproducer, said parts being indicated at 9, 10 and. 11, the stylus-bars .for the diaphragms of these. partsbeing respectively indicated atf9', l0.

and 11', the styli for said bars being. respec'-.

tively indicated at 9,101 and 11.. The

sleeve for the sound reproducer is, also provided with a spring 12 and a partition 13,v

and in its side wall are formed apertures Any suitable means may be pr vi or rigidly mounting the three-part sound reproducer upon the sleeve 8,-screws f, in the present instance, beingshown forthisepur- 8 may be cast integral with the sound reproducer, and for purposes of description, the

sleeve may be considered as a part thereof;

- pose.' However, it is obvious that the sleeve and numerals 18 indicate the apertures for the sound reproducer, the apertures of parts 9, 10 and 11, respectively, of the sound reproducer being in constant communication with apertures 14:, 15 and 16 of the sleeve 8. Numeral 19 indicates a plunger Which is mounted in an aperture 20 formed in the sleeve 8, said plunger normally being pressed inwardly by the spring 12 for engaging in the gI'OOVQ 7.

It will be understood that the sleeve together withthe parts 9,10 and 11 of the sound'reproducer, may benioved longitudinally of the sound conducting tube, the plunger sliding ihthe groove 7,'the sleeve also having a revoluble movement on said tube, simultaneously" with its longitudinal movement, to dispose the styli of'the three-part sound reproduccrin playing positions; also on account of the weight l, when the sleeve is moved t'mvard the'pivot a, the pressure oi astylusupon the disc-record 21 will be less than when moved an opposite direction, the weight -l upon the extension 9 of the tube 3 being disposed at a fixed distance from said pivotal mounting'a, these adjustments'being desired since the pressured-equired for'the stylus of the part '11'of the sound'reproducer when it'engages in a sapphire-ball groove is greater'than the others mentioned, and the pressure required for the stylus '10 ofthe'part 10 of the sound reproducer, when engaging in 'a diamondc-utgroove is less than the others, and the arrangement is such that whenthe sleeve-is partly rotated for moving any one of the three parts of the sound reproducer lon gitudinally to its playing position, the stylus ofsaid part willhavethe required degree of pressure upon the disc-record; also the construction is'such that when the parts 9, l0 and 11 or" the.reproducer are in playing positions, their styli will be equi dis'tant fromthe pivotal mounting 2 of. the tonearm 1.

In operation, the sleeve Smay be rotated for disposing-the part 9 of the sound reproducer in a verticalor playing position as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the resiliently actuated plunng'er 19 then engaging in the depressionc of the tube'3, whichtends to prevent any movement of the sleeve or parts carried thereby, and this the po sition of the sound reproducer when discrecords are used which are provided with grooves known as lateral-cut, the apertures 5 and 14 being in register, the apertures 15 and 16 of the respective parts 10 and '11 ofth'e sound. re'pro'ducer being in non-communication with the interior of the sound conducting tube, and as thu-s disposed a required degree of pressure is provided for the stylus 9" of the part 9 of the soundreproducer.

If an operator desires to use adisc-record ingtube, and asthus disposedthe pressure forthestylus 11 of thepart 11 o fthe sound'r'eprod'ucer upon the disc record'will be ofar required degree and greater than that of the fothe'r styli mentioned. Also the stylus of the part 11, when in itslayin 1'1osition,"will be disposed at a distance from the pivotal mounting-2of'the sounder-m equal'to that of thostyl'ustl oftheparfl of the sound relnoducer, when i in its may ing' position;

Ifit'isdesired to use a-tlisc record having a groove known as diamond point, the sleeve 8 may lee-rotated to dispose'the plunger in the depression 6 of'said groove 7; the partdO of the sound reprod'uc'er movingtoward the pivotal-"mounting a. and tea horizontal post ti0n,the apertures G and l5'beingthenin register, theapertures '14 and 16' of the respectiveparts hand 11 being innon com n'iunioationwith th'e interior-of the tube 3, andsince member lO'will be disposed'nearer to the pivotal mounting a," the ressure oi" its stylus upon the disc record will be less than the pressure of the other styli mentioned, and ofa re uired degree. -Also thes'tylu's of the part 10 ofthe sound reproducer,when in'its'playing position, will be disposed are distance'from the pivotal mounting Qequa'l. to that oi' the styli of the art-s 9 "and-11,- when I in their 1 pla-yi I-rg positions.

It will thus be'see'n that t'he' sleeV'e'Smay' be moved longitudinally otthe' sound com ducting tube 'i'or'disposing any oneof the t'l'i-ree parts of the;- sound reproducer' in playing position, thonwoluhle movement forthis purpose being in either directiomthe movements longitudinally "(DftllG'tuibo for the parts 9, 10" and 1 1 res p ectively, being: equal to the distance betweenthe depressions 6130 0, c ted, and'rl'to e to-dispose their respective styli equi distant from the pivotal mounting 2, when inrtheiri playing positions; and to provide the required pressure for each stylus upon its disc record.

llh ilcl 'have'shown and described three parts 9, 10 and 11 for the sound reproducer with their diaphragms disposed in non= parallelismpand prefer this construction, I may 'employ 'a sound reproducer 'havinga lesser or greater number of parts,- and changes relating to minor 1 details may be 'madeas found to be of advantage, all withmounted on the tone arm, an aper'tured sound reproducer rotatably mounted on said tube and provided with diaphragms and stylus-bars, and means coactive with the rotation of the sound reproducer for moving it longitudinally of the tube to dispose one of its stylus-bars at a predetermined distance from the pivotal mounting of the tone arm and to dispose one of its apertures in register with an aperture, of said tube.

2. An improvement in a phonograph comprising a 'pivotally mounted tone arm, a sound-conducting tube pivotally mounted upon said tone arm and having a counter balance beyond its pivotal mounting, said tube having apertures in its side wall, an apertured sound reproducer rotatably mounted upon the sound-conducting tube and provided with diaphragms and stylusbars, and meansfor moving said sound reproducer longitudinally of the tube to modify its effective weight as compared with the weight of said counterbalance and to dispose one of'its apertures in register with an aperture of said tube and also to dispose one of the stylus-bars at a predetermined distance from the pivotal mounting of the tone arm, effective Whenever said reproducer is rotated.

3. An improvement in a phonograph, comprising in combination a tone arm, a soundconducting tube mounted on the tone arm and having circumferentially spaced apertures therein at longitudinal intervals, a sound reproducer provided witha plurality of diaphragms disposed in non-parallelism and having circumferentially spaced apertures therein at longitudinal intervals for registering with the apertures of the soundconducting tube, said sound reproducer being movable longitudinally and rotatable for disposing one of its apertures in register with an aperture of the sound-conducting tube, its remaining apertures being in nonregister with the apertures of said tube.

4. In combination, a tone arm of a phono graph, a sound conducting tube pivotally mounted on the tone arm transversely of the end thereof, said tube having an extension projecting beyond said pivotal mounting, a sound reproducer upon the other end of said tube away from said extension and movable longitudinally of the tube for counterbalancing the weight of the extension.

I 5; An improvement in aiphonograph,-com-- pr1s1ng, 1'n combination atone arm,- a sound conductlng tube provided with circumferentially sp'ac'edapertures-at longitudinal in- I tervals, said, tube being pivotally mounted'on the tone arm and having a part extending beyondiits :pivotal mounting, a sound reproducer provided with a plurality of diaphragms disposed in non parallelism and having circumferentially spaced apertures formed therein at longitudinal intervals for registering with the apertures of the sound j conductingtube, said sound reproducer being 7 -movable to counterbalance the weight of its extended part and to dispose one of its apertures inregister with anaperture 'of-the I sound conducting tubewith its remaining apertures in non-register of said tube. a V I v 6. In a phonograph, a tone arm, a sound with the apertures 5 conducting'tube having apertures in'itsside wall and pivotally mounted on the tone arm,

and having an extension projecting beyond .itsjpivotal mounting, a sound reproducer having a plurality ofdiaphra'gms disposed in non-parallelism and havingapertures in its side wallcommunicatingywith said diaphragms, said sound reproducer being rotatably and longitudinally slidably mounted upon said tube to dispose one of its apertures in register with an aperture of the tube and to counterbalance the wei ht of the exten-v sion of said tube. p 1

7 In an improvement in a phonograph, a sound conducting tube provided with lateral apertures communicating with its interior 1 and'having an endless peripheral groove with depressions therein, a' sound reproducer on the tube having a plurality of diaphragms with apertures to register with the lateral apertures of the sound conducting tube, a plungermounted onthesound re- -V producer engaging in said groove and adapted to enter said depressions,said sound reprdoucer being adapted to have a revoluble vmovement for coactively causing a longitudinal movement thereof along the sound conducting tube to cause the aperture com municating with the unused diaphragm to be disposed in non-register with the apertures of said tube and cause the aperture communicating with the used diaphragmto register with one of the lateral apertures of the sound conductng tube. p f I 8. In combination, a tone arm, a sound-: conducting tube pivotally mounted thereon, said tube provided with lateral. apertures and'having an extension'projecting to one side beyond its pivotal mounting, a sound reproducer provided with a plurality of diaphragms and having lateral apertures communicating with its interior and said diaphragms, said sound reproducer provided with manually operable'means extending to one side of said pivotal mounting in a direction opposite to that of said first-.mentioned extension for imparting a 'revoluble movement to the'sound repi'oducei' for moving it' longitudinally of the tube to change its effective Weight and to cause registration of an aperture of the sound reproducer with an aperture of the sound conducting tube.

In testimony whereof, I have afllxed my signature 1n presence of tWo Witnesses. V

RALPH WQMORRISON.

l'Vitnesses HIRA A. STURGES, ARTHUR H. STURGES. 

